Gorodenkoff/Getty Images We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. The marketing from TV brands like Samsung and LG may make it seem like you have to drop thousands of dollars on mini-LED and OLED technology to get a good picture, but there are just as many cheap TV brands that punch well above their weight class. Unfortunately, one of these companies isn’t as shiny as it used to be, at least according to Consumer Reports. Five or six years ago, one of the most recognizable names in budget television was Vizio. But in 2024, Walmart bought the maker of LCD and OLED screens, making it difficult to find Vizio TVs anywhere other than the ubiquitous big-box retailer. But more importantly, it seems like Vizio has lost what got it praised in the first place: great picture quality at an affordable price. Consumer Reports put 14 Vizio TVs through rigorous lab testing, and no model scored better than “below average” for its overall score. We branched out from the pros to try and get feedback from users, and the official Vizio subreddit was pretty revealing. It seems that modern Vizio TVs aren’t very reliable, with many users reporting slow interfaces, app crashes, and other annoying issues. Even Rtings, a trusted consumer technology review site, has publicly stated that most Vizio TVs are riddled with bugs and that the smart TV’s operating system “leaves a lot to be desired.” Vizio production has been declining since the start of the decade Scott Olson/Getty Images During the brand’s heyday, Vizio’s offerings were comparable to those of modern TV makers like Hisense and TCL. But another potential reason for Vizio’s fading image is that, since 2020, development and production have slowed to a crawl. The company has only launched a handful of mid-range TVs in 2022, and only two new QLED models in 2023. The Mini LED Quantum series launched in early 2026, and it’s one of the cheapest mini-LED sets on the market — but at this point, Vizio’s efforts could fall into “too little, too late” territory. It’s hard to stay competitive when Hisense and TCL are circling your products – not to mention some of the budget-friendly mini-LED and OLED sets you’ll be able to find from Samsung, LG and a few other major manufacturers. These other brands also taught us that more advanced features, including mini-LED backlighting and the ever-useful HDMI 2.1 ports, are no longer big demands. Entry-level TVs like the 65-inch Hisense U6 ($580) can cost a bit more than the $500 Vizio Quantum series, but the former supports HDMI 2.1, a native 144Hz refresh rate, and uses the Fire TV operating system for streaming apps and other web-connected features. So while you may be paying more for this 65-inch Hisense, it’s objectively designed to give you a better overall TV experience, especially when it comes to motion clarity and features that ensure a great gaming experience on your TV. Post navigation 5 Disadvantages of Smart TVs You Need to Know AV Receiver Vs. Stereo receiver: what’s the difference?
Gorodenkoff/Getty Images We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. The marketing from TV brands like Samsung and LG may make it seem like you have to drop thousands of dollars on mini-LED and OLED technology to get a good picture, but there are just as many cheap TV brands that punch well above their weight class. Unfortunately, one of these companies isn’t as shiny as it used to be, at least according to Consumer Reports. Five or six years ago, one of the most recognizable names in budget television was Vizio. But in 2024, Walmart bought the maker of LCD and OLED screens, making it difficult to find Vizio TVs anywhere other than the ubiquitous big-box retailer. But more importantly, it seems like Vizio has lost what got it praised in the first place: great picture quality at an affordable price. Consumer Reports put 14 Vizio TVs through rigorous lab testing, and no model scored better than “below average” for its overall score. We branched out from the pros to try and get feedback from users, and the official Vizio subreddit was pretty revealing. It seems that modern Vizio TVs aren’t very reliable, with many users reporting slow interfaces, app crashes, and other annoying issues. Even Rtings, a trusted consumer technology review site, has publicly stated that most Vizio TVs are riddled with bugs and that the smart TV’s operating system “leaves a lot to be desired.” Vizio production has been declining since the start of the decade Scott Olson/Getty Images During the brand’s heyday, Vizio’s offerings were comparable to those of modern TV makers like Hisense and TCL. But another potential reason for Vizio’s fading image is that, since 2020, development and production have slowed to a crawl. The company has only launched a handful of mid-range TVs in 2022, and only two new QLED models in 2023. The Mini LED Quantum series launched in early 2026, and it’s one of the cheapest mini-LED sets on the market — but at this point, Vizio’s efforts could fall into “too little, too late” territory. It’s hard to stay competitive when Hisense and TCL are circling your products – not to mention some of the budget-friendly mini-LED and OLED sets you’ll be able to find from Samsung, LG and a few other major manufacturers. These other brands also taught us that more advanced features, including mini-LED backlighting and the ever-useful HDMI 2.1 ports, are no longer big demands. Entry-level TVs like the 65-inch Hisense U6 ($580) can cost a bit more than the $500 Vizio Quantum series, but the former supports HDMI 2.1, a native 144Hz refresh rate, and uses the Fire TV operating system for streaming apps and other web-connected features. So while you may be paying more for this 65-inch Hisense, it’s objectively designed to give you a better overall TV experience, especially when it comes to motion clarity and features that ensure a great gaming experience on your TV.
